Aldea Spiritual Community

Building the Beloved Community (MLK Sunday) | Tarell Lewis & Jake Haber

Check out this special conversation between Tarell Lewis and Jake Haber as they explore the intersection of spirituality & race, the power of sharing our stories, and the healing we experience in community.
 
Quotes:
 
Martin Luther King Jr.:
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”
 
Robin DiAngelo:
“White privilege allows white people to navigate life in a white-dominant society with relative ease and minimal stress about race.” 
 
Matt Kahn:
“Victimhood is a state of being affected by the choices of others, while refusing to consider the options at hand. Predatory behavior signifies feeling so shut down by the wounds of the past that we attempt to take away the choices of others to feel a depth of control that will never be found. Empowerment is recognizing how everything is here to help you make the most inspired heartfelt decisions that further your soul’s expansion, despite how dastardly or disheartening any moment seems to be”
 
Desmond Tutu:
“When we see others as less than ourselves, we deny the God in them—and the God in ourselves.”
 
Cornel West:
“Justice is what love looks like in public.”
 
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel:
“Justice is not an abstraction or a value among many, but a way of being, a command to restore dignity to those who have been diminished.”
 
Martin Luther King Jr.:
“The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community.”
 
“Evil may so shape events that Caesar will occupy a palace and Christ a cross, but that same Christ will rise up and splithistory into A.D. and B.C. so that even the life of Caesar must be dated by his name. Yes, the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice” 

Interfaith Sunday: Bahá'í | Nahid Rohani

On Sunday, January 12, we were visited by some very special guests from the local Bahá'í community—led by Nahid Rohani—who shared various elements of their faith tradition through story, readings, and song. 
 
 

Reboot Yourself | Jake Haber

Check out our first message of 2025 as we explore the idea of "rebooting" our relationship to technology, information, one-another, and ultimately, ourselves. 
 
Quotes:
 
Sherry Turkle:
“We are being overwhelmed with information, but our capacity for empathy, reflection, and human connection isn’t growing to match."
 
Eckhart Tolle:
“The human mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. The internet amplifies this truth —it distracts us unless we remain conscious.”
 
Robin Dunbar:
“The limit imposed by the Dunbar number is not about technology or physical space; it’s about the wiring of our brains. Our capacity for meaningful social relationships is bounded by our biology.”
 
Jaron Lanier:
“Social media amplifies the worst in us because outrage is its most profitable emotion. The algorithms don’t care about truth; they care about engagement.”
 
Tristan Harris:
“Outrage spreads six times faster than joy on social media. It’s not because people are angrier than ever; it’s because the systems are designed to reward it.”
 
James Baldwin:
“You cannot fix everything that is wrong in a society by screaming at it. Outrage, without action or introspection, is merely performative anger.”
 
Brené Brown:
“Outrage culture uses shame as a weapon, but it doesn’t build connection or foster understanding. It creates walls, not bridges.”
 
Leo Tolstoy:
“Do not destroy what you cannot replace.”
 
Martin Luther King Jr.
 “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
 
Mahatma Gandhi:
“Speak only if it improves upon the silence.”
 
Alan Watts:
“Technology extends our reach but cannot replace the joy of living simply, fully, and presently.”
 
 

Aldea Christmas Eve 2024 | Jake Haber

Check out Aldea's 2024 Christmas Eve message, as we explore the birth of Christ as a symbol of light shining amidst the darkness!
 
Quotes:
 
Jan Richardson:
“Advent, Christmas, Hanukkah, and solstice all remind us that light shines brightest in the darkest moments. These holidays call us to hold space for the impossible made real.”
 
Edith Wharton:
“There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
 
Richard Rohr:
“Christmas is not about a single birth in history, but about the ongoing birth of love and light within us and through us into the world.”
 
Barbara Brown Taylor:
“Every time we allow our hearts to soften and our hands to serve, Christ is born anew. The manger is within us, waiting to hold the sacred.”
 
Marcus Borg:
“Christmas is about incarnation—not as a distant memory, but as a present reality. Christ is born again each time we embody love and kindness.”

December Lights (Part 4): Arrival | Jake Haber

For the finale of our "December Lights" series, we explored the themes at the intersection of advent & the winter solstice. How do we thrive in life's liminal spaces, such as waiting for the arrival of light & hope?
 
Quotes:
 
Pádraig Ó Tuama:
“Advent reminds us that waiting is not passive but full of potential, a time to prepare our hearts for the world we long to see.”
 
 Rev. Sara Miles:
“Advent is not about a sentimental waiting for the Baby Jesus, but about the call to live into the world as it is being remade in love.” 
 
Rachel Held Evans:
“To practice Advent is to lean into an unfulfilled promise, to embrace the tension between what is and what could be, and to open ourselves to the possibility of transformation.” 
 
 Walter Brueggemann:
“The beauty of Advent lies in its insistence that what we wait for is already breaking through. We live in the ‘not yet,’ but we are sustained by glimpses of the ‘already.’” 
 
Reverend Holly Whitcomb:
“The waiting of Advent teaches us to live in increments, in small pieces rather than large chunks. Waiting also teaches us to measure our progress slowly.” 
 
 Richard Rohr:
“Advent is not about waiting for a perfect future, but about discovering the sacred in the imperfections of the present.”

December Lights (Part 3): A Star in the Eastern Sky | Jake Haber

For the third installment of our "December Lights" series, we re-examined the story of the Magi—commonly known as the "Wise Men"—and how the deeper context of their tale illustrates a unique spiritual truth about following the nudges of our soul. 
 
Quotes: 
 
Matthew 2:1-12:
"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village—a band of scholars (magi or seers) arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.” When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified... (He) arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. (He) said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.” Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.  In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country."
 
Craig S. Keener:
“The Magi were astrologers, likely from Babylon or Persia, where astrology was a developed science. Their interpretation of the star as heralding a Jewish king fits with the popular association of celestial events with royal births.” 
 
Deepak Chopra:
“Listen to the whispers of your soul. Trust them as you would trust the map of a navigator.”
 
Matthew Fox: “The Magi teach us that truth and wisdom are not confined to one tradition. Their journey celebrates the sacredness of seeking and the holiness of encounters acrossboundaries. It is a story of trust in the mystery that transcends cultural and religious differences.”
 
Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
 
Rumi:
“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.”
 
Sri Aurobindo:
“Faith is the soul’s witness to something not yet manifested but felt as real, a hidden reality awaiting birth.”
 
 

December Lights (Part 2): Yuletide | Jake Haber

For Part 2 of "December Lights", we looked at the ancient celebration of Yule—its influence on Christmas and its focus on the solstice. How can we draw inspiration from Yule as we create our own unique holiday traditions?
 
Quotes:
 
Dorothy Morrison (Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth:)
“Yule is the season when we celebrate the rebirth of the sun and the return of light to the Earth. It’s a time of hope and renewal, reminding us that no matter how dark times may seem, light and warmth will return.”
 
Susan Pesznecker:
"The magic of Yule lies in its duality: while the world outside is dark and cold, the inner spirit is lit with the fire of hope and renewal....Yule teaches us that even in the coldest, darkest times, light and warmth are just around the corner."
 
Sara Rae Hoagland:
"At its core, Yule is a day in which to proudly stand within the darkness, knowing in our souls that the light will be triumphant."
 
 

December Lights (Part 1): Rededication | Jake Haber

For the first installment of our new holiday series "December Lights", we explored the profound origins of Hanukkah & Kwanzaa, and how we might be inspired to rededicate ourselves to our spiritual path this holiday season. 
 
Quotes:
 
Abraham Heschel:
“Judaism is a religion of time aiming at the sanctification of time. Time is the heart of existence.” 
 
Richard Rohr:
“Daily contemplation is an act of surrender, a deliberate choice to reconnect and realign with the divine flow. It’s how we rededicate ourselves to the work of transformation.”
 
Mahatma Gandhi :
“To pray is not to ask things of God, but to rededicate ourselves to the service of life, truth, and love.”
 
Pema Chödrön :
“Meditation is a constant process of starting over. Every time you return to your breath, you are rededicating yourself to the path of wakefulness.”
 
Dr. Maulana Karenga:
“Kwanzaa was created to introduce and reinforce the importance of African heritage and culture. In the wake of the Watts uprising, it was clear that what was needed was a cultural foundation on which we could rebuild and reaffirm our identity, purpose, and direction as a people.”
 
Reverend Al Sharpton
“You can’t fight for anybody if you don’t fight for everybody. I cannot fight for Black rights if I don’t fight for Jewish rights … because then it becomes a matter of self-aggrandizement rather than fighting for humanity.”

Gratitude & Grief | Jake Haber

As we gear up for Thanksgiving Week (and the holidays as a whole), we stop to create space for the variety of emotions that we may be feeling – grief right along with gratitude.
What if gratitude and grief are not so different & distinct? What if finding a connection between the two holds a key for a deeper spirituality and more authentic human experience?
 
Quotes:
 
C.S. Lewis:
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. To live fully is to accept the trade-off of safety for the unpredictable and unknowable nature of love and life.” 
 
Haruki Murakami:
“You should not strive to eliminate your pain but to feel it, give it meaning, and see it as part of your evolution.”
 
Rainer Maria Rilke:
“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final. Gratitude is being able to stand in that storm and recognize it as part of the whole tapestry of living.”
 
Joan Halifax:
“When we sit with the dying, we are invited into the heart of life itself. In grief, we find the seeds of gratitude—not for the pain, but for the reminder of how fleeting and precious life is.”
 
David Steindl-Rast:
“The root of joy is gratefulness… It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful. Even in moments of pain or grief, gratitude allows us to stay connected to life’s deep and mysterious beauty.”
 
Anne Lamott:
“Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior. It almost always makes you willing to be of service, which is where the joy resides. It means we allow ourselves to see the terrible beauty of the life we have—not the life we thought we’d have, but this one, full of pain, and yet still luminous.”
 
Mumford & Sons ("Not With Haste"):
“I will love with urgency but not with haste”

Pledge Sunday: Resilient | Jake Haber

As we reached the midpoint of our 2025 Pledge Campaign, we explored the deeper meaning behind our theme "Resilient", the resilience story of Aldea, and how being resilient doesn't always returning to the way things were, but adapting to a new normal. 
 
Quotes:
 
Viktor Frankl:
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
 
Pema Chödrön:
“Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.”
 
Brené Brown:
“You can’t get to courage without walking through vulnerability. Period.”
 
John O’ Donohue:
“May you have the courage to live the life that you would love to claim as your own.
May you have the wisdom to ground yourself in the grace of the present moment.
And may you have the strength to rise again, no matter how many times you fall.”